Liquid dispensing device



Oct. 4, 1955 E. J. WEATHERBIE LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Sept. 4, 1951 luvzn TO R Euere 22' J ZUea 2*]: 61:5 zle ATTOR N EYS United States Patent LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Everett I. Weatherbie, Salinas, Calif. Application September 4, 1951, Serial No. 245,000

1 Claim. (01.222-263) I This invention is directedto, and it is the major object to, provide, a novel device for dispensing a liquid in bulk from a supply container; the invention being especially designed-but not limited-for use to dispense lubricating oil in automotive service stations or the like.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a liquid. dispensing devicewhich eliminates the need of hand pumping frorn the supply container; the liquidbeing forceafed to a sp ig ot by compressed air, and there being means to automatically maintain the device under pressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a liquid dispensing device which is wholly self-containedor unitary, including the mechanism to produce the compressed air; the device thus being capable of ready and convenient installation on any supply container having a top opening through-which the device depends.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a liquid dispensing device which continuously maintains a quantity of the liquid under pressure and therefore ready for immediate dispensing; the initial dispensing of the liquid thus not being dependent on the operation of the machine and so does not have to await starting of the mechanism which produces such pressure.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a liquid dispensing device which is simple and compact in structure; being designed for ease and economy of manufacture and maintenance.

Still another object of 'the invention is to provide a practical and reliable liquid dispensing device, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed. I

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the device as in use.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation of the lower end portion of the device; the view being on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the device is herein described as used for dispensing oil, and such device comprises a vertically elongated reservoir, indicated generally at 1.

The reservoir 1 and all of the attached parts, as hereinafter described, is a readily manually portable structure; such reservoir including an upper cylinder 2 and a lower cylinder 3 in communication. The lower cylinder 3 is of substantially lesser diameter than the upper cylinder 2 and provides, in effect, an elongated depending neck adapted to depend into a bulk supply tank or container 4 for the liquid.

The lower cylinder 3 depends into the bulk supply tank 4 through a top opening therein, which is defined by an annular rim 5; there being a supporting collar 6 on the upper end of the lower cylinder 3 which rests on said rim 5, being located in the latter by a depending peripheral flange 6a integral with said collar. v The lower cylinder 3 is of a length such that it terminates at its lower end in adjacent but spaced relation to the bottom 7 of the bulk supply tank 4. l f The lower cylinder 3 is closed at its lower end by ,a bottom cap 8, and a gear type pump 9 is disposed-below the bottom cap 8 in alinement, being suspended in fixed relation from said cap by circumferentially spaced bracket arms10. The pump 9 includes an intakeport 11 and a-discharge port 12; the former being in communicatio'nwiththe bulk supply tank 4 close to the bottom 7, while the discharge, port 12 is in communication with a feed pipe 13 which leads upwardly through; the bottom cap 8, Immediately above the bottom cap 8 the feed pipe 13 is fitted with.,a ball check valve 14 whichopens into the lower cylinder 3; i. e. closes toward the pump. Thepumpdrive shaft 15 projects upwardly intosthe space between V the pump '9 ing coupledas at 16to the lower end of a vertical drive shaft 17 which extends full length through the reser-- voir 1. Above the upper cylinder 2 the vertical drive shaft :17 is coupled, as at 18, to the'downwardly projecting shaft 19 ofan electric drive motor20; the motor being supported from the top 21 of the uppervcylinder 2 by. pedestal arms 22.- 1

Throughout the length of thegreservoirql. thezvertical' drive. shaft 17 runs in protected. relation in aconduitlo'r tubular h ousing 23 sealedofi with respect .tO theinteriOi of. the upper. cylinderz and lower cylinder'lii An outletpipe 24 extends within the reservoir 1 from a point adjacent the bottom cap 8 upwardly in said reservoir; thence turning and passing out of the upper cylinder 2 near the top thereof. From this point the outlet pipe 24 projects a short distance forwardly and is fitted, on its free end, with a normally closed spigot 25 adapted to discharge into a dispensing can 26 normally disposed therebelow. 7

Operation In use, the above described oil dispensing device is supported on the bulk supply tank 4 in the manner described, and the electric motor is connected to a source of electricity.

With energization of the motor 20 it drives the pump 9 through the medium of the drive shaft 17, whence oil is drawn into the pump through the intake port 11 from the bulk supply tank 4, and is delivered through the feed pipe 13 and check valve 14 into the reservoir 1.

After the pumped oil is introduced in a certain quantity into the reservoir 1 air pressure builds up in the upper cylinder 2, providing an air dome. An automatic or pressure-responsive switch 27 is mounted atop the upper cylinder 2 in communication therewith, and is wired into the circuit for the motor 20 in a manner to shut oil such motor 20 when the pressure reaches a predetermined maximum amount and to turn on the motor when the pressure lowers to a predetermined minimum.

With the foregoing switching arrangement the reservoir 1 is always maintained with a substantial quantity of oil therein under the pressure of an air dome; the pressureresponsive switch 27 being adjustable in its limits whereby it may be set so that the device will work effectively with oils of different viscosities, etc.

When it is desired to withdraw oil, the spigot 25 is turned on and immediately oil feeds through the outlet pipe 24 from the reservoir 1 under the pressure of the air dome. This is a substantial advantage, for the reason that the operator does not have to wait for starting of the motor 20 or building up of pumping pressure before delivery is obtained from the spigot 25. However, the

and bottom cap.8, there ibemotor--20 will run at the proper time to'maintain theair dome at suificient pressure for proper oil delivery from the device.

-the:-pressure creating mechanismis included in the device, no external source of air-pressureis required, and consequently-the'device is adaptablefor 'use at any-point andi-n'eonnection with any bulk supply tank having a top opening; a source-of electricity being the only requirement.

By-"reason of its compact unitary structure the device is 'r eadily mounted on, orremoved from, a bulk supply above the tank,-a-dispensing conduit leading-upwardly in the reservoir from adjacent the lower end to the exterior thereof above the tank, a vertical-axis motor mounted on top of the reservoir, a vertical-axis gear pump disposed adjacent and below the reservoir with its intake open to the liquid in the tank and arranged to be removed as a unit with the'reservoir from within the tank,

: means supporting the pump from the bottom of the resertank, and when in positionthereon does not occupy floor V spacebeyond that required for such bulk supply tank. izWith the described device, oilrnaybe dispensed in a quick-,efiective manner and-without-attention on-the part of the-operato'r-= other than the manual opening of the spigot 25.

voir in clearancerelation thereto and so that the drive shaft of the pump-is invertical alinernent with the drive shaft of the motor, a pipe leading from the discharge of the pump into the reservoir through the bottom thereof in sealed relation therewith, a shaft unit connecting the '."-From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that'there has been produced such a' device assubstantially fulfills the objects of the-invention, as set forth herein.

-"=-'Whi1e this specification setsforth in detail the present and preferred'construction of the device, still in practice 1 such-deviations from such detail may be resorted'to as do not: form a departure. from the spirit of'the invention, as defined by :the appended claim.

Having-thus described the invention, the following is elaimedas new and useful, and upon whichLetters Patent 5;

are desired:

A device to dispense liquid from a bulk supply tank having atop 'opening, the device comprising a pressuretight=reservoir adapted to depend into the tankthrough theopening; means to removably support the reservoir from the tank with the upper portion of the reservoir motor and pump shafts and extending through the reservoir, and a tubular housing about the shaft unit within the reservoir and connected to the top and bottom walls.

of the reservoir in pressuretight relation; the shaft unit including a coupling member connecting said unitwith the pump shaft and disposed in the space between the reservoir and pump.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS 

